When Zoharan Mamdani launched his mayor for New York City last year, many wrote his opportunities.

He is a South Asian Muslim Democratic Socialist. He faced resistance from the establishment of his party. Even the new York Times The editorial board asked the voters not to support the 33 -year -old man.

And even though Mammadani tried to maintain strength in the center of his campaign, others tried to define their identity with unrelated claims that he would promote Islamic law, that he supports terrorism and is an antisemite.

Mamdani said, “There are a lot of concerns based on his own caricature.” Morning version“I do not blame New Yorkers for having a caricature because they have to spend more than $ 30 million, which paint me in the way – that smells me and slanders me, which artificially prosthesize the color and the length of my beard, which calls me a demon.”

But new Yorkers for most parts did not fall for it. After receiving the most votes in primary last week, Mammadani is now the present Democratic candidate. He is a step close to becoming the mayor of the country’s largest city.

On Monday, NPR’s Leela Fadle Sitting in New York City to sit with Mamdani to discuss the lesson of her victory for her party and how she is planning to implement her policies if she becomes the mayor despite doubt about her feasibility.

Mammadani commented that he made remarks on NBC News meet the Press Regarding billionaires, “I think the better question is whether working people have the right to existence, because what we have seen in this city is that more and more working people are being pushed out.”

Asked about his proposals, like the free public transit and extended childcare, he admitted that many of his views would require state level support, especially from the village of Gav Kathy Hachul, who has voiced skepticism and not yet supported him. But he remained optimistic, cited his success in launching the first fare-free bus pilot of New York City, as evidence that progressive reform is achieved.

This interview is lightly edited for length and clarity.

Interview highlighted

Leela Fadle: Let’s talk about your policies, because one of the criticisms of your inhibitors is that it is free childcare and free buses and grocery items that you can tolerate. But whatever you are making, it is out of the hand of the mayor. This is something that will have to be at the state level. This will have to be with other actors. So how can you really fulfill any of these promises?

Zoharan Mamdani: Any mayor that has an ambition that meets the scale of people’s crisis that they want to represent, they have to work with Albani. And the reason for this is that I have pushed this agenda forward, not only because it is necessary, but because it is possible. I say you as a member of the assembly, who won the first fare free bus pilot in New York City, who saw that in freeing buses. It was not just about economic relief. It is also about public safety, the fact that the attacks on bus drivers were reduced by 38.9% through this pilot, the fact that we really saw an increase in the riders who were earlier driving or taking a taxi, reducing the crowd around the same routes. That is why we chase this agenda.

Fadel: The way you say that you are going to pay for these programs, corporate taxes are increased on corporations and then there is also an income tax on any person that makes more than a million dollars, right?

Mamdani: Top 1%of New Yorkers.

Fadel: Then, this village is a non-starter for Kathy Hochul, he said that. So how are you going to pay for it?

Mamdani: I have appreciated my conversation with the governor, and one thing that I really appreciate about our current governor Kathy Hocul, is he focused on strength. And what we have seen is that I am talking to you about these policies, they are not just policies for which people are voting, coincidentally, while they are voting for me, they are voting for this platform.

Fadel: But then, what do you believe about the coalition building when you are hearing the governor saying that it is a non-starter, he has not supported you yet, because these other leaders have not done within your party?

Mamdani: Experience I have got. During this campaign, there was a time when many of us thoughts were considered different for our campaign, and yet, as we made it, more and more candidates started adopting the same policies, and I am confident to see that this happens in the political spectrum. Even Andrew Kuomo said in his transport plan that he wanted to free the buses. It was a recognition of his popularity as a proposal.

Fadel: You made some waves at the end of this week when you said that you did not believe that billionaires had the right to existence. What does it mean?

Mamdani: I was speaking about the nature of income inequality in this city and this country, and finally, I think the better question is whether working people have the right to existence, because what we have seen in this city is that more and more working people are being pushed out. The vision I am speaking about is a vision that I want everyone to enjoy and benefit, including billionaires. Although my tax that I am proposing are those that will be at the top 1% of New Yorkers, on the most profitable corporations, it is not the taxes that will be separated from their lives. In fact, taxes will benefit everyone across the city, including those who are being taxed. And eventually, it is not interested in taxation in itself. It is interested in finding revenue to pay for something that changes life in the city.

Fadel: So you were not proposing that your policies would eventually lead with billionaires for New York?

Mamdani: No, this is not what I was proposing.

Fadel: You have a difficult race to look like a difficult race in November. You already have billionaire bills like Ekman, saying that it will give millions of dollars to anyone running against you.

Mamdani: I think he said some good things, good things about me too.

Fadel: What else did he say?

Mamdani: I think he said that I was smart, which I appreciated. Thanks, bill.

Fadel: Okay, okay, but he does not even want you to be the mayor of New York City, you know, and other corporations, rich new yorkers, who feel the same, and there are some people who are afraid of your candidature. You have support between some Jewish voters, and you have some Jewish voters who are extremely doubted about you and are afraid of your candidature.

Mamdani: My job is to lead this entire city. My job is to address many concerns that New Yorkers can have, which is also for any basis. My commitment is now to hold meetings with New Yorkers that can be worried. Perhaps this is, you know, a business leader who is concerned about the influence of my tax proposals, and I get to share the fact that these are proposals that will make it easy to attract and maintain talent. If I can talk with a Jewish New Yorker, who is concerned about the issue of antisemiamitism, and I can share the fact that this is a real crisis that we have to deal with, and one that I really have to do so to do so through the increased funds to prevent the crimes of hatred in the city, I am committed to doing so, and this is my commitment to do so that my commitment and again that my commitment to do so. Live up And this is about the next several months.

Fadel: You know, primarily and in the later days after primary, the racist, this barrage of anti -Muslim attacks on you, you were equal to a terrorist, saying that you are a threat to the safety of Americans, especially Jews, Americans. I am going to repeat some attacks, because I think they are fine to say, but I want the audience to understand what is being said. And this is not just from the right -wing and Republican in the office. It is also from other impressive figures. Debora Messing Will and grace It was posted online that you biased with terrorists and you celebrated 9/11. When you happened, you were nine years old. Republican rape. Nancy Mess posted a picture of you in your Eid organization and wrote, “After 9/11 we said,” Never forget. “I think we are sad.” Republican rape. Andy Ogles called you “Little Muhammad”, and said that you need to be deported, and call for your destruction. Are you ready for this level bigotry?

Mamdani: It is surprising, and yet it is still deeply sad. Many Muslims of this country know, being present in public life is to deal with such slander on a different scale, and it is part of that so many people have thought that the safest place to live is in the shade, and for this campaign my hope was to bring the margin of our city into the mainstream. It is very difficult to see how normal this hatred has been. And as you have said, this is, it is not only the people of Republican Congress. It is an actress from a show that I saw as a child. I think my responsibility is to show that our vision for this city, this is a vision that is universal. It is a vision that wants to recognize the belongingness of each and each new yorker, and it is opposite to this exclusion vision that we see so many, one who wants to distract people with the inability to take care of people working by nominating enemies as another. However, one of its most difficult parts is that the danger on my life and those that I love are fundamentally, they turn fundamentally how you can live.

Fadel: And so it has changed how you can live?

Mamdani: it is. The fact is that I should now have protection all the time. This is a different way of connecting with the world. But my responsibility is to show that it is a drop in the bucket of how people actually feel in the city. A few days later I received many deaths and someone said that he was going to blow my car, which was news for me, because I do not have a car. I went to the length of Manhattan to talk to New Yorkers. And I did this because I think, however, the way we defeat this bigotry, is how small it is actually a minority.

Built and edited by Arezou Rezvani and Mansee Khurana, video edited by courtney theofin, and adapted to digital by Majd Al-Waheiidi.